Stripers’ Seventh Inning Rally Thwarts Nashville 5-3

On the strength of a three-run seventh inning, the Gwinnett Stripers (13-20) held off the Nashville Sounds (19-14) in a 5-3 final on Sunday afternoon at Coolray Field. The Stripers finished the seven-game series with a 3-4 record.

Decisive Plays:  Gwinnett jumped out to a 2-0 lead thanks to an RBI single from Conner Capel in the second inning and a Nashville fielding error on a well-hit line drive off the bat of Carlos Rodriguez in the third. The Sounds tied the game at 2-2 on an Andruw Monasterio single in the sixth inning. Rodriguez wouldn’t let that score stand for long with a go-ahead two-out RBI single in the seventh inning followed by a two-run single from Garrett Cooper. Nashville got a run back in the eighth on a sacrifice fly but it wasn’t enough.

Key Contributors:  Cooper (2-for-4, double, 2 RBIs) led the offense for the Stripers who also had multi-hit games from Capel (2-for-4, RBI) and Eddys Leonard (2-for-4, double). Gwinnett starter Jose Suarez tossed 4.0 scoreless innings for the second time this series, sprinkling in six strikeouts. Domingo Gonzalez (W, 1-0) and Dylan Covey (S, 1) each threw scoreless innings in relief. For Nashville, Anthony Seigler led its offense with a three-hit day.

Noteworthy: Gwinnett finishes its home schedule against Nashville with a 6-6 record, as the clubs won’t meet at Coolray Field again this year. Suarez has now pitched 8.0 scoreless innings over his first two starts with the Stripers. Matthew Batten went 0-for-4, snapping his eight-game hitting streak.

Next Game (Tuesday, May 6): Gwinnett at Durham, 11:05 a.m. at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Radio Broadcast: 10:50 a.m. on MyCountry993.com.

Next Home Game (Tuesday, May 13): Charlotte at Gwinnett, 11:05 a.m. at Coolray Field. Join the Stripers on Education Day where kids can catch a game at Coolray Field in a fun and educational environment. Radio Broadcast: 10:50 a.m. on MyCountry993.com.